Archive for January 2014

While searching for something else, I came across this daisy from the early 70s. Silent Running — not to be confused with the hit song by Mike + The Mechanics — is a 1972 environmentally themed American science fiction film starring Bruce Dern. According to Wikipedia, it was directed by Douglas Trumbull, who had previously... Read more »

One of my favorite movies of all times is Field of Dreams. I’m really not a big baseball fan per se but there is something about that movie that transcends the sport. Probably because it’s really not really about baseball or building a baseball field in the middle of nowhere. It’s about so much more.... Read more »

When I was about 10 years old, my mom would take me and a friend to $1 movie night at the local movie theater. Usually we’d watch the movie together but once in a while, the movie a couple of 10 year old boys wanted to watch was just too juvenile for an adult, or... Read more »

Update: if you want a more formal set of instructions, here is a similar project I found. My feelings will not be hurt if you use this instead, or take something from either post. We had a bit of underutilized space on our basement stairwell. so we decided to install some shelving so that we... Read more »

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A couple and their baby walk into Alinea, hoping to enjoy an expensive upscale snooty dinner. Maître d: I’m sorry we don’t allow loud whiny crying people. Parents: what are we supposed to do with our 8 month old? Maître d: I was talking to the 8... Read more »

By now everyone who cares knows the details for Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler’s seven-year, $126.7 million contract. According to a league source, the deal didn’t include a signing bonus and has $54 million in total guaranteed money. The deal averages $18.1 million per year. source Note: I created this graphic based on numbers reported... Read more »

So every Friday I like to feature a cool video. This one by the geniuses known as CGP Grey explains Vatican City. What to say about the not so New Pope. On the one hand it sounds like he’s a different breed from the garden variety bishops. On the other hand, you don’t get to... Read more »

If you are Polish or have Polish ancestry and grew up in Chicago, chances are good that your family dragged you to the The Polish Museum of America at some point in your childhood. Depending on your level of maturity you either appreciated it or felt it was a waste of an afternoon. The thing... Read more »

If you liked my Facebook Fan Page, thank you! The latest Facebook algorithm changes might cause you to miss some of my posts and you don’t want Facebook deciding what you can and cannot see do you? here’s a fast and easy way to stay engaged with my page. 1. Go to my Facebook Fan... Read more »

Do me a favor? Click my “like” button and join our Facebook community. A bought of insomnia in the wee hours of the morning led me to scanning my Facebook feed and among them I happened across this post. Geeks like me who grew up in the 70s and early 80s were big fans of... Read more »

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Meet The Blogger

Michael Messinger

I am a Chicago native who grew up in Humboldt Park and now lives in Portage Park. If Nikola Tesla and Ernest Hemingway had a love child, I'm the Polish version of him with a little Dave Barry thrown in for spice.
I went to two colleges for undergrad: I started at NMSU as a pre-engineering major and finished at UIC with a degree in communications which was as close to Journalism as they offered.
I was editor of a student newspaper at UIC in the early days of the internet. I have successfully run 22 marathons and may be reached at therunninggod@gmail.com, on twitter @MysteriesOLife or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MysteriesOfLifeblog